Dean Smith demonstrated his undoubted class when he topped the WJC Noakes Cup on an out-of-sorts River Ouse below York.

Despite securing the bulk of his numerous Matchman of the Year points on the many commercial carp fisheries that now dot the North Yorkshire landscape, York-based Smith is equally at home on the rivers.

Drawn above the bridge in the Donkey Woods, he put on a classy display of pole fishing utilising a variety of lines and baits to keep small fish coming throughout the contest.

After opening up with chopped worm for perch he switched to a longer line where he found small roach on pinkie.

A further change to hemp late in the match found a few quality roach to 12oz that boosted his haul to a match-winning 7lb 3oz.

Close behind was Selby's Graham Austin, who found a 5lb bream plus a few perch on feeder and caster a few pegs below the winner. Dave Collinson completed the Donkey Woods rout taking third place from below the bridge with a mixed bag of 5lb 11oz on pole and caster.

Others: Larry Atmore 5-8-0; Tim Harrison 4-15-0; Terry Galton 4-13-0.

The latest Amalgamation veterans match at Laybourne Lakes again proved popular prompting calls for more similar events to be staged next season.

Pete Child took the day's best weight from peg 53, the first over the bridge. Offering red maggot down the edge and across he found plenty of small carp for his winning bag of 22lb 8oz.

Others: Les Redhead 21-12-0; Al Martindale 13-8-0; Bob Coates 10-13-0; Bill Lumley 9-7-0; Doug Dalton 9-0-0.

The Joe Woodham Memorial match on the Ouse between Hunters Lodge and Linton proved to be a dour, if close, affair.

Barbara Jeffries needed just 3lb 14oz of small roach for victory. Drawn on peg 222 below the bungalows, she worked with maggot at 11 metres for her winning net of red-fins.

Steve Smith snatched second place by an ounce with 3lb 9oz. A dozen roach fell to stick and maggot fished with a long rod from peg 253 at Linton.

Others: Darren Hutchinson 3-8-0; Kevin Moore 3-7-8; Bob Cramner 3-7-0; Nick Smith 3-6-0.

Updated: 11:23 Wednesday, September 28, 2005